overdog

American

[oh-ver-dawg, -dog] / ˈoʊ vərˌdɔg, -ˌdɒg /

noun

Informal.

a person who is dominant, in command, or has a significant advantage.

Etymology

Origin of overdog

First recorded in 1905–10; over- + dog, modeled on underdog

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

overdog

In six episodes, “Cheer” documents the lead-up to Daytona, and the series is a quick, compulsive watch, combining the savage thrill of watching an overdog dominate and the emotional pull of witnessing an underdog’s rise.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 16, 2020

Stony Brook faces Kentucky in its first-round game, so that’s your ultimate underdog vs. overdog matchup.

From Slate ● Mar. 14, 2016

So Horace Broadnax, a reserve on that Georgetown team which featured Patrick Ewing, the top pick in the '85 NBA Draft, knows how it feels to be the hated overdog.

From Time ● Apr. 4, 2011

Unannounced but widely anticipated, Jay-Z arrived, a cheerful overdog who boasts without Mr. West’s guilt-tinged psychodrama.

From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2011

He had just been told that his opponent, New Orleans, is a 10 ½-point favorite — the biggest road overdog in NFL playoff history — to win Saturday's game.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2011

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023